History Main / BalkanizeMe

* ''FanFic/TheWandererOfTheNorth'': This was the fate of Ancient [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Equestria]] after its old capital was razed and the last Equestrian King slain by the invaders and monsters. The result was that Ancient Equestria was destroyed in the North and fractured into a smaller kingdom and several principalities in the South.

* In FanFic/TheRainsverse, the fall of Roam has split Equestria into four major successor nations (the Heartlands under King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis, the Lunar Kingdom under Princess Luna, the Solar Prelate under Princess Celestia, and the Crystal Empire under Princess Candence), and an unknown number of minor polities.

* China is further divided in ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'' where it is now the People's Liberation Committee (North China) and the Democratic Chinese Alliance (South China). Makes more sense than many, given the long-standing (cultural) north/south divide along the Yangtze.

* ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': The first few stories detail the process of this happening to the [[GalacticSuperpower Galactic Empire]], in a process inspired by the real-life case of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire. It begins with the governors of several prefects in the outer Periphery declaring themselves independent kings, and the Empire being powerless to stop them. Over the next century and a half the Empire gradually loses more territory to rebel governors or popular revolt, until it covers just a third of the galaxy; it is reduced still further by the war with the Foundation and the subsequent civil war following the death of Emperor Cleon II. Another century later, the state calling itself the "Galactic Empire" is even smaller than the first breakaway kingdoms were, consisting of just a handful of agricultural worlds, and doesn't even have its capital on the planet Trantor, which was laid waste in a bloody revolt a few decades prior. The Empire finally comes to an end altogether when it is conquered by the Mule.

** In a somewhat logical conclusion of the events of UsefulNotes/MikhailGorbachev's reign, the Soviet Union balkanized itself in 1991. Within the span of a few years, 15 countries (UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Belarus}}, UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|Europe}}, UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Kyrgyzstan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Latvia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}}, Moldova, UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Turkmenistan}}, Ukraine, UsefulNotes/{{Uzbekistan}}, and of course UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} itself rose from the ashes of the Soviet Union.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Technobabylon}}'', the US has fallen apart into separate states and territories, many of which are ruled by warlords. We aren't given many details on what happened, but a news article mentions that two of the states are arguing over which of them should be allowed to compete in the coming Olympics using the old American flag.

** There is also a way to weaponise the process yourself: an empire with "Feudal Society" civic can create semi-independent vassal empires that, unlike other vassal states, retain more significant autonomy in their internal affairs, so you can concentrate on your own development, while not worrying about your subjects loyalty[[note]]as "Feudal Society" civic remove any loyalty loss from having multiple vassals[[/note]].

** The Tau Empire is mostly united, under the rule of the Ethereal Caste. But a segment of it called the Farsight Enclaves broke off from the Empires rule after the death of its last Ethereal. It’s uncertain weather Commander Farsight defected due to him wanting to be free from Ethereal control, or that he did it out of shame after the Ethereal he served died under his charge.

* In contrast to Germany, the United States categorically ''refused'' to do this to UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} in the aftermath of World War II. It can even be construed that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were partly done to make Japan surrender as swiftly as possible before the Soviets could step in and partition the country like they did to Germany. Which turned out to be a good idea, as the Soviets did have plans to claim more Japanese territory beyond the previous-agreed treaty to only occupy North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands.

* In contrast to Germany, the United States categorically ''refused'' to do this to UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} in the aftermath of World War II. It can even be construed that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were partly done to make Japan surrender as swiftly as possible before the Soviets could step in and partition the country like they did to Germany. Which turns out to be a good idea, as the Soviets did have plans to claim more Japanese territory beyond the previous-agreed treaty to only occupy North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands.

* ''Roleplay/CaptoIugulum'': Happens to Hungary, the United States, Kongo, the Franco-Burgundian Confederation (although it reunifies), Spain, and British South Africa over the course of the the NES.

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', there exists the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations, an international alliance that consists of countries that broke away from Russia, including the nation of Elizalina itself.

* In ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'', the world became a fully shattered mosaic of small territories, each belonging to one of the four big factions: Legitimacy Kingdom(where bloodline and honor are everything), the Information Alliance(where inexactitudes and false news are evil and weapons), the Capitalist Corporations(where charity is a crime) and the Faith Organization(a patchwork of every religions invented). You can barely travel more than a couple hundred miles in any given direction before running into a border.

*** The [[FeudalFuture Feudal Empire]] with the "Imperial Liege" origin starts the game with a huge head start in technology, economy and fleet strength, as well as with a certain number of vassals who will be almost completely dependent on their overlord at first. However, the latter behaves very passively, largely taking advantage of the lack of competition and enjoying its prosperity. Therefore, it is not surprising that the very first SuccessionCrisis leads to a complete collapse of the empire, which disintegrates not into 2-3 possessions of dynastic claimants to the throne, but completely - [[ExaggeratedTrope practically every planet of the former empire forms its own separate state]].
*** The Marauder Horde led by the [[GalacticConqueror Great Khan]] will last as long as the Great Khan themself. Once the powerful unifier and legendary admiral dies, the Horde will most likely split into several splinters, led by the Diadochi, each of which will consider themself the true heir of the Great Khan.

*** The [[FeudalFuture Feudal Empire]] with the "Imperial Liege" origin starts the game with a huge head start in technology, economy and fleet strength, as well as with a certain number of vassals who will be almost completely dependent on their overlord at first. However, the latter behaves very passively, largely taking advantage of the lack of competition and enjoying its prosperity. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first SuccessionCrisis leads to a complete collapse of the empire, which disintegrates not into 2-3 possessions of dynastic claimants to the throne, but completely - [[ExaggeratedTrope practically every planet of the former empire forms its own separate state]].

*** The Feudal Empire with the "Imperial Liege" origin starts the game with a huge head start in technology, economy and naval strength, as well as with a certain number of vassals who will be almost completely dependent on their overlord at first. However, the latter behaves very passively, largely taking advantage of the lack of competition and enjoying its prosperity. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first SuccessionCrisis leads to a complete collapse of the empire, which disintegrates not into 2-3 possessions of dynastic claimants to the throne, but completely - [[ExaggeratedTrope practically every planet of the former empire forms its own separate state]].

*** Due to Germany winning the Weltkrieg, the Soviet Union never rose to power, so the the newly-formed Russian Republic had to cede territory to the German Empire, which gave limited self-government to local peoples and included them in its military alliance.

*** Due to Germany winning the Weltkrieg, the Soviet Union never rose to power, so the the newly-formed Russian Republic had to cede territory to the German Empire. [[SarcasmMode They took it well]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', this trope is a typical result of a successful [[SlaveLiberation slave]] or [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters AI]] revolt: the rebels form a new empire, which is hostile to former oppressors and can often go to war with them. Despite being behind at first glance, newborn empire gets some fleets to defend itself, so the war result is usually uncertain. A multiple number of such revolts can break unfortunate empire almost completely, or at least weaken it enough to make an easy prey for other galactic powers.
** There is also a way to weaponise the process yourself: an empire with "Feudal Society" civic can create semi-independent vassal empires that, unlike other vassal states, retain more significant autonomy in their internal affairs, so you can concentrate on your own development, while not worrying about your subjects loyalty[[note]]as "Feudal Society" civic remove any loyalty loss from having multiple vassals [[/note]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' also does this. If an empire is having a rough time with its factions and internal happiness, some of them will start rebelling, and while it can probably bring them back under control given time, too many of them and the empire risks dissolution. There are also ways to weaponise the process yourself: a Feudal Society can create independent vassal empires that, unlike non-Feudal vassal states, retain the ability to expand and colonise, meaning you can create a new state to deal with colonisation on one flank, letting you focus on the other, and then reintegrate it later.

* ''VideoGame/VictoriaAnEmpireUnderTheSun'', ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron'', and ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'' all gives plenty of opportunities to do this. (all of them feature various variations of DividedStatesOfAmerica for instance).
** On the topic of ''Hearts of Iron'', the popular mod ''VideoGame/KaiserreichLegacyOfTheWeltkrieg'' has this several instances of this:
*** Just like the main game, DividedStatesOfAmerica is in full effect, though now it's a ''4-way civil war''. The US itself [[DayOfTheJackboot under the military command of]] UsefulNotes/DouglasMacArthur, the syndicalist [[CommieLand Combined Syndicates of America]] in the steel belt, the far-right [[ANaziByAnyOtherName American Union State]] in the south, and the remains of American democracy in the form of the [[LaResistance Pacific States of America]] on the west coast. New England can even be annexed by the Dominion of Canada [[BlatantLies "for its protection"]].
*** Due to Germany winning the Weltkrieg, the Soviet Union never rose to power, so the the newly-formed Russian Republic had to cede territory to the German Empire. [[SarcasmMode They took it well]].
*** Italy broke into 5 states in 1919: The Papal States, The Republic of Italy, The Socialist Republic of Italy, the Kingdom of Two Sicilies and the Entente-allied Kingdom of Sardinia.
*** India has been split into 3 territories: The British-controlled Dominion of India, the syndicalist Bharatiya Commune, and the Princely Federation, which operates under the old Raj system.
*** China is still split into more than a dozen warlords.
*** Mittelafrika doesn't ''start'' out as this, but it's particularly infamous for lasting a short time and eventually collapsing into so many countries at once computers have been lagbombed to a full, if brief, halt, leaving a giant pile of twenty or more countries that try to kill each other from the word Go.
** In the ''VideoGame/EquestriaAtWar'' mod for ''Hearts of Iron IV'', the nation of Equestria starts out as one giant united nation. It is possible however for a civil war to erupt through events, which splits the country in two between supporters of Princess Celestia and supporters of Princess Luna, with several regions breaking away and forming their own nations.
** ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysOfEurope'' mod for ''Hearts of Iron IV'' takes to extremes:
*** After a successful Operation Sea Lion, Great Britain is divided into England, Wales, Scotland, and a Nazi-occupied Cornwall.
*** The Soviet Union has shattered into dozens of warlords with most of them having a shot at re-unifying the country under every ideology in the game ... or collapsing back into yet more warlords.
*** The collaborationist Republic of China ''de jure'' controls all of China except for Japanese-controlled Manchukuo and Guangdong, but ''de facto'' only has authority over eastern China. The rest are independent warlords StillWearingTheOldColors, Japanese fiefdoms, and rebels.
*** India is divided between the Republic of India and Azad Hind, both facing minority revolts.
*** The Iberian Union can collapse into more than a dozen factions, with some seeking independence like the Basques and Catalonia. Their African colonies also break away.
*** The decolonization of Nazi-ruled Central Africa can result in the emergence of dozens of new statelets, either through [[{{Cincinnatus}} successful nation-building]] by the US or the complete and utter collapse of colonial authority.
** It's worth noting that in many cases this is not just possible, but is actually a powerful in game strategy. In ''Europa Universalis'', virtually any major power can be hamstrung this way. Annexing all of their territory would take multiple wars and a lot of time, while breaking off various parts into smaller nations is faster, easier and will hurt them more in the long run.

* We can't mention Creator/ParadoxInteractive games without mentioning ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'' -- just as in the real MiddleAges, large kingdoms have an alarming tendency to fragment into independent states if the dukes and counts don't consider the king a worthy ruler. This sometimes happens peacefully, but [[CivilWar sometimes not.]]
** Most major nations in ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'' can be broken up into smaller constituent provinces. Furthermore as the game goes on, almost any nation that becomes a major power will inevitably wind up the owner of cores that can be released as independent nations as a result of wars or rebellions. For example, if you're playing as the English then this is your prime strategy for dealing with France, as the massive blue blob is comprised of dozens of releasable mini-countries that make up 75% of its vast territory; with strong allies (like Castile, Aragon, Austria [[EnemyMine or even Burgundy]]), good command and a little luck, you can reduce France to basically just Paris and the surrounding land, making them ripe for conquest or at least rendering them a non-factor in your empire-building elsewhere. Other frequent victims of this include the Mongols, the Timurids, the Ottomans, and Ming China.
* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl'' has the Canadian province of Ontario as an independent kingdom. The rest of North America, [[AfterTheEnd and presumably the world]], is in a similar state, Ontario is just the only one still going by its original name.

* China is further divided in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' where it is now the People's Liberation Committee (North China) and the Democratic Chinese Alliance (South China). Makes more sense than many, given the long-standing (cultural) north/south divide along the Yangtze.

* In ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'', the world became a fully shattered mosaic of small territories, each belonging to one of the four big factions: Legitimacy Kingdom(where bloodline and honor are everything), the Information Alliance(where inexactitudes and false news are evil and weapons), the Capitalist Corporations(where charity is a crime) and the Faith Organization(a patchwork of every religions invented). You can barely travel more than a couple hundred miles in any given direction before running into a border.

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', there exists the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations, an international alliance that consists of countries that broke away from Russia, including the nation of Elizalina itself.

* Following the death of Prince Bolesław III in 1138, Poland was divided among his sons and over the next two centuries fractured into smaller princedoms. It was not until 1320 that the major regions were reunited under a single ruler. Later on, the entire nation would be divided up between Germany and Russia during the Partitions of Poland. Some of the other regions would not become part of Poland again until after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

* In the backstory for Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium, the bulk of the Eriador region was under the aegis of the Dunedain kingdom of Arnor. Its strength depleted as a result of several major disasters during the War of the Last Alliance against [[BigBad Sauron]], and it eventually split into three smaller kingdoms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. These kingdoms themselves came apart following brutal wars against the Witch-King of Angmar. By the time period of ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Eriador is largely a no-man's land save for a few small isolated polities such as the [[{{Arcadia}} Shire]], [[HiddenElfVillage Rivendell]], and the Grey Havens.

** The division of the Middle East by the Allies after the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire caused shockwaves which still resonate to this day. After the Ottoman Empire was officially dissolved at Versailles, the Treaty of Sevres split the Ottoman territories in the Middle East along the Sykes-Picot line, dividing the area into two zones (one being UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}, UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}}, and [[UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} Mandatory]] UsefulNotes/{{Palestine}}, and the other being UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}} and UsefulNotes/{{Syria}}), which were to be under European colonial rule before being eventually granted independence. Syria was formed into one territory even though it contained significant Alawi and Druze minorities who feared persecution from the Muslim majority, Iraq was united even though a quarter of the population were non-Arabs, and Zionist Jews were allowed to migrate to Palestine despite that being contrary to what had been promised to the Arabs a year earlier. [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict Needless]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror to]] [[UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring say]], it turned into a recipe for disaster. Even Lebanon, which was specially carved by the French to ensure that conflict at least didn't happen to its Catholic majority, eventually succumbed to spillover from its neighboring states.

** The division of the Middle East by the Allies after the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire caused shockwaves which still resonate to this day. After the Ottoman Empire was officially dissolved at Versailles, the Treaty of Sevres split the Ottoman territories in the Middle East along the Sykes-Picot line, dividing the area into two zones (one being UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}, UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Palestine}}, and the other being UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}} and UsefulNotes/{{Syria}}), which were to be under European colonial rule before being eventually granted independence. Syria was formed into one territory even though it contained significant Alawi and Druze minorities who feared persecution from the Muslim majority, Iraq was united even though a quarter of the population were non-Arabs, and Zionist Jews were allowed to migrate to Palestine despite that being contrary to what had been promised to the Arabs a year earlier. [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict Needless]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror to]] [[UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring say]], it turned into a recipe for disaster. Even Lebanon, which was specially carved by the French to ensure that conflict at least didn't happen to its Catholic majority, eventually succumbed to spillover from its neighboring states.

* Happened in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegend''s. After the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire began to fracture apart with the deaths of its two top leaders and elite military command staff. Over the course of nearly a decade, various Imperial Admirals began taking sectors for themselves and became warlords over sizable chunks of the galaxy, though over the course of the EU many of them were either conquered by the New Republic or absorbed into the Imperial Remnant, what remained of the centralized, original Galactic Empire.